Independence movement in Puerto Rico

The Independence movement in Puerto Rico is a nationalist political movement on the island of Puerto Rico and in the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States. The first notable Puerto Rican nationalist figure was Antonio Valero de Bernabe (1790-1863), a general of Spain during the Peninsular War and of Gran Colombia during the South American Wars of Liberation; Valero de Bernabe, inspired by Simon Bolivar, supported the independence of the island, but the European colonial powers opposed its independence. The independence movement opposed United States rule after the Spanish-American War in 1898, and it was illegal to fly the Puerto Rican flag until 1952, when an 1895 design was made the official design before being replaced by a flag with a blue triangle instead of a turquoise one. The Puerto Rican independence movement was advocated by poets such as Pedro Pietri and Julia de Burgos, who used peaceful means to encourage freedom for the island, while groups such as Los Macheteros and the FALN used violent "direct action" against their foes. However, the movement declined during the second half of the 20th century, and only 5.5% of Puerto Ricans voted for independence in 2012, while 44% voted for statehood.